Front Burner

Alexei Navalny, the 'anti-Putin'

Tens of thousands of Russian protesters braved the cold and ignored police warnings to show support for high-profile Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who is currently imprisoned in Moscow. The CBC’s Chris Brown talks about the significance of the massive protests, and what it might mean for Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in the country.
A man holds a placard reading 'For Navalny!' as people, including supporters of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, gather outside a police station where the Russian opposition leader is being held following his detention in Khimki outside Moscow on Jan. 18, 2021. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Moscow, St. Petersburg and across Russia to demand the release of prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny this past weekend. Police used force to break up the protests and detained more than 2,500 people.

Navalny is best known for his anti-corruption investigations and was recently the subject of an assassination attempt. After recovering from his poisoning in Germany, Navalny returned to Russia only to be arrested and imprisoned in Moscow.

CBC Russia correspondent Chris Brown talks to host Jayme Poisson about the growing movement in support of Navalny, and whether it might actually challenge President Vladimir Putin's hold on power in Russia.